Breaking The Ice [bxb]

Chapter Six [Eli]

"Everything okay in there?"

Liam's friend whips his head up to look at the door in wide-eyed panic.

"Just leave," I hiss.

I don't have to say it twice. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, he bolts. I almost expect to see the cloud of smoke where he used to be, like a cartoon character.

My brother pushes into the kitchen, taking a look at the scene before him. Behind him comes a pretty blonde, with full, red-coated lips and a crease of concern wrinkling the space between her bright blue eyes.

"What the hell, Eli?" Elliott sounds stunned.

"He just came in like this," I say.

"On his own?!" My brother exclaims.

The glance I shoot Liam's way is totally unplanned, but it's enough to see the look on his face. Even through the bruising, I can tell that's a warning. Or more like a plea.

I sigh. "I don't know. When I came in here, he was like this." 

That last part's not a lie.

"I'm calling an ambulance," Scarlett, the pretty blonde, says right before stepping outside with her phone already in hand.

"And I'm calling his dad," my brother adds swiftly. "Can you stay here with him?" He asks me, reaching for his phone.

I nod.

As soon as I'm alone with Liam, I try to gather all the spread out knives and set them on the counter. They'll need to be washed, but now's not the time.

Liam lets out a strained grunt-like sound and I lower myself by his side again, setting one hand on one of his shoulders and the other on his hip. He looks at me.

"Can you sit up?"

He doesn't reply with words, crawling backward instead, with my help, to prop his back up against the cabinets under the stainless steel counter.

As soon as he looks steady, I let go and ask, "Who did this to you?"

"Who said it was a who?" He murmurs.

"I think I can tell what the loser of a fight looks like, when he's lying right in front of me."

Liam snorts out a laugh, and then winces like that pained him. "It wasn't so much a fight as it was just me lying in fetal position, trying to protect vital organs," he says, voice strained and breathy.

I pull back, supporting my elbow on my knee. "If you can joke, I guess you can't be dying."

He laughs, but the sound quickly fades into a horrible cough that has him gripping the underside of his ribs again. He might not have been completely successful at protecting vital organs, after all. 

Judging by his clothes and the scent of cologne mixed with alcohol on him, I'm assuming he went out. Most likely outside the Brunson-Lake City area. I remember my brother used to go out with his friends every once in a while and cruise the bars in the Moscow area, when he was in high school. I remember he got into a couple of fights during those nights out too. Never came back looking like this, though.

It takes me a while to notice Liam has closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the cabinet door.

"Keep you eyes open," I speak up to make him look at me. His eyes look a little drowsy and unfocused. I try to force a smile, but I don't think I manage very well. "Your main job right now is staying awake."

"I wouldn't mind taking a nap, to be honest."

"That's not a good idea when you might be concussed," I say.